tacking a small length of silver solder rod

Sorry if this has been asked before, I have done a search but cannot find anything.

I silver solder a variety of bits and when the silver solder rod is too short for my fingers (burnt) I hold the short section in a pair of pliers. I finish up with a 20 - 25mm length of rod that I try to tack onto a longer length of rod in order to use it up. However, I do not have much success and I am nearly always left with a blob of melted silver solder formed from the 20 -25mm length and the longer rod. How can I best tack one small section of silver solder rod, onto a longer rod. Thanks.

Can I suggest you save the small pieces and use them to lay along joints etc

Roy

Hiya,

Try not letting the rod get too short say 3 - 4 inches.

Butt it against the next rod and fuse the two together with a fine flame.

Regards

Keith

PS Merry Christmas to you all

Stick a crocodile clip on the end of a short stainless steel rod (doesn't conduct heat well).

You should be able to get down to the last 3-4mm holding the end in the clip, and less faffing about.

Neil

On the question of soldering; I have a small hearth made from 4 firebricks ( old coal fire hearth back slabs ) set up in a frame & have used it to solder a very small item ok, but as I understand it is better to have a hearth made from white insulation / vermiculite bricks. I have looked on 'flea bay & it generally points to refractory linings & they tend to be a 'minimum order of'... have also looked on Cup Alloys site & they provide a kit for £39.60... a bit pricy for 3 slabs & a bit of Kaowool ? blanket, have also kept eye open for someone who's thrown out a gas fire... to use the radiants as a hearth... would the radiants used in a wood burner be of the same material...does anyone have spare bricks available for the postage cost... anyone in the Teesside area so I can collect...would appreciate pm.

TIA

George

My woodburner uses vermiculite sheets not radiant elements or solid firebricks. They are a lot quicker to heat up than solid old firebricks. I suggest talking to a woodburner stove shop about either new sheet or perhaps if they are doing refurbishments they might save offcuts or a bit of the stuff they replaced.

Ebay shows a few results for 'vermiculite sheet'. One chancer is even selling a bit 2x2x1 inch!

Hi George, looks like you don't live too far from me, I have a flamefast brazing hearth with the firebricks built in, but I always use easily obtainable thermalite blocks, if there's a building site nearby you can scrounge broken ones for nowt, or go to wickes at portrack,they do burn away after a while but they really reflect the heat back to the work,these are the lightweight ones not the heavy blocks,as it happens I've just come in from the workshop having silver soldered a little vertical boiler up for a small oscillating engine, it's in the acid pickle now .

Graham